The Green Bay Packers got an elite athlete with a Rashan Gary-like prospect profile in Mike Renner’s post-Super Bowl mock draft for Pro Football Focus.
The pick at No. 15 for the Packers was Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy, who Renner said is “very reminiscent” of Gary, the 12th overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Last season, Murphy delivered six sacks and 34 total pressures over 355 pass-rushing snaps, plus 11 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. He is Renner’s No. 6 overall prospect on his 2023 big board.
Like Gary, Murphy is a big (6-5, 275) and explosive athlete who may need time to become a dominant player at the next level but has all the traits of an elite edge rusher. The Packers gave Gary time as a rotational player behind Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, and he’s since developed into one of the game’s most feared young pass-rushers.
Could the Packers do the same with Murphy behind Gary and Smith?
It’s certainly possible Murphy, a former five-star recruit, will need years to develop before he’s ready to be an impact player.
From his PFF draft profile: “Murphy’s high-end reps are jaw-dropping. The power that he possesses when unlocked properly is enough to bowl over even NFL tackles. It’s just worrisome that we only saw it in flashes.”
The Packers certainly have a long-term need at edge rusher considering Smith’s age (turns 31 in August). Gary is also coming back from a significant knee injury, so extra depth at outside linebacker might be required early in the 2023 season.
High-end pass-rushers with elite athletic tools don’t usually drop into the teens of the draft, but it happened with Gary and it could happen again with Murphy. Can Brian Gutekunst make lightning strike twice? Gary and Murphy could be a dynamite edge-rushing tandem in time.
